The Award
by Lady aracne
Summary: Tim McGee is nominated to receive a literary award, what he doesn't know is that he is getting right in to a trap of international consecuences.
1. Chapter 1

The Award Chapter 1

_**A/N Here you go a new story, I hope you like it, I haven't finished watching season 4, its still running in Mexico, so bare with me if things don't quite match, ok, and please review! I love reviews.**__**This is the prologue, I hope its not too confusing its mostly dialogue.**_

_**So, read on and review!**_

**Prologue**

"The first part of the plan is finished Sir" a beautiful blond woman standing in front of a huge mahogany desk said in a very seductive voice.

"Are you sure Patricia?" answered the man sitting behind it; he was a handsome man, dark skinned with piercing green eyes that shined with an evil glint, an air of authority surrounded him while he looked intently at her.

"Of course Sir, my contact in Colombia said the Award has already been crafted and it is on its way to Marvek Publishing offices as we speak, it cleared costumes without any problems."

"I take it the chip is inside?"

"Yes Sir" answered a third figure inside the dim lighted room. "It is concealed inside the Award; it is protected by a special lead box."

"Well done Marcus" He said smiling, "And the other business Patricia?"

"Oh, that was the easiest part of all" Patricia Harlan said sitting on the edge of the work desk currently occupied by her boss, her short pearl gray skirt ridding upwards a few inches.

"How so?"

"Well, Gemcity, or should I say, Timothy McGee was already chosen to be one of the final 5 nominees."

"Was he now? That's perfect, the least you intervene the better."

"I know Sir; I can't influence the final outcome though."

"That is a fact Sir" Marcus added coming closer to the desk "The final decision is made by the Board of Directors the night before the award ceremony takes place."

"That is of no concern; we have foreseen both scenarios, haven't we?" He asked placing one huge hand on Patricia's bare thigh; she giggled.

"Of course Sir, it's all planned; the extraction team is already assembled as well."

"Are you completely sure he can actually decode the information in the chip?"

"Yes Sir, McGee is a computer genius; he will be able to get the codes." Marcus said sitting on a chair next to Patricia.

"Perfect, what about that Gibbs, he has quite a reputation."

"No one is joining McGee at the ceremony; his coworkers are deeply annoyed with him." Patricia said taking out a small notebook from her tailored black jacket. "None of his team actually knows he has been nominated to receive the Marvek Award, except for the forensics scientist, Abigail Sciuto, my mole says not even she is in good terms with McGee at the moment." She added flipping the pages on the notebook.

"Oh and his parents are on a cruise with his sister, he will be quite alone." She finished smiling broadly.

"You have done well, both of you. Work in your cover stories, this has to go down without any problems, we need those codes for the sale to go forward."

"Yes Sir." Patricia and Marcus said before standing up and turning towards the door.

"Patricia?"

"Yes Sir?" She said smiling seductively as she turned around to face him; meanwhile Marcus Sutton left the room closing the door behind him.

"Stay."

"My pleasure Sir." She said locking the door.


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N Sorry for the delay, here you go chapter 2, hope you like it. I want to thank you for your wonderful reviews and I want to thank Booklover my new BETA! isn't it great? she did a great job. Well you know what to do, read, enjoy and review!**_

_One Month Later_

Timothy McGee walked slowly through the elegant aisles of the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. He was attending the "2007 Marvek Writers Convention" as Thom E. Gemcity. **Five days into the event**, after signing books, giving lectures, talking with fans and meeting with other writers, he just wanted to go to bed and sleep for at least 24 hours. He couldn't though, there was still the dinner gala taking place in about**one** hour and of course the ceremony.

He had asked for a week out of his vacation time to be at the Convention, thinking that a few days away from NCIS would help him relax, but they hadn't. He missed his job and the team—even if they were still kind of mad at him—but **most** of all, he missed Abby terribly.

Tim sighed before taking out his card key to open his door. His editor had booked him one of the suites, but Tim couldn't care less. There was no one there to share it with, and not even the prospect of winning the prestigious Marvek Award for Deep Six could cheer him.

Lost in thought, he opened the door, the lights switching on automatically to brighten the luxuriousroom; he looked up and almost yelped at the sight before him.

Abby Sciuto was standing in the middle of his room, smiling broadly at him, wearing a blood-red silk evening gown that flowed all the way to the floor. It fit her beautiful body as a second skin from her neck to her hips, and opened somehow to a wider skirt. Abby twirled around, letting him see the dress had no back, he could see her black cross tattoo in full—he loved that tattoo.

Tim froze, his mouth unable to produce a single sound, maybe he was having an hallucination ,he felt so tired and, of course, he had been thinking about Abby the whole time, he certainly wasn't sure he could trust his eyes at this point

"Timmy, it's really me. Close your mouth—you look like a fish!" Abby said, asshe walked towards him.

"But, what? How? When?" He blurted, unable to take his eyes away from her.

Abby reached him and hugged him in a very Abby fashion, almost breaking his ribs. Then she took his hand and guided him to a pair of tapestry covered chairs.

"Let's sit down Mickey, I'll tell you." She said, sitting on one of the chairs; he took the other. Tim just nodded still very confused, he was thrilled Abby was there with him, and dear God she looked beautiful.

"Hey McGee, stop staring at me and listen."

"Sorry Abs, it's just that … never mind so what happened?" he said focusing his attention on her, which was not an easy thing to do, first because she looked breathtaking and second because se moved so much bouncing up and down as she spoke.

"Well, the first two days after you left everything was normal. Gibbs, Tony and Ziva had a couple of minor cases, but on the third a fraud case involving Naval retiring funds took over, a lot of computer hanky panky involved.

"Our boss almightystarted to go ballistic on all of us and to glareat your desk every 5 minutes. I was in the bullpen during this past days because … well because I missed your visits too much," she said, blushing a little.

"Abby?"

"Then, on day four, Gibbs marched to the Director's office: Ziva, Tony, and me behind him. You should have seen him, he yelled at her that he was recalling you to duty that very instant, that his team was not complete and that he didn't care if you were visiting a sick aunt in Iowa

"A sick aunt? I don't have a …"

"I had to tell them _something_ when they started asking about your week off. Even though the Director tried to reason with him, you can imagine how that went, so I had no choice but to tell them the truth."

"You … did?" He gulped imagining a new wave of fury coming from his teammates.

"I had to, but something hinky happened! Gibbs calmed down and asked if I could finish the decoding of the files he needed. I of course said yes, so they all started asking about the **c**onvention. Tony almost fainted when I mention**ed** your nomination." Abby laughed before continuing, "He puffed up like a peacock, all proud that His Probie was a famous author."

"Abby, you are making this up, right?" he asked not believing his team could possibly be proud of him.

"No Timmy, it's the truth. Ziva made me explain everything about the **c**onvention and the **a**ward, and Madam Director said that if we closed the case I could take a couple of days off and come to join you. Then she and Ziva started talking about what should I wear and everything. This is the result." She finished looking down at her crimson dress.

"You look stunning Abs, and I still can't believe you are here and that the team is not burning me alive."

"We missed you, all of us, **we're** a family McGee. And now you hurry up, the ceremony will be starting soon, I put your penguin suit in there." Abby said standing up and pushing him into the bathroom.

"I am going Abs, calm down," Tim said laughing. Things couldn't be better, he thought.

---------------------- ---------------- ---------------------------

"Everything ready?"

"Everything is set. The extraction team will be standing by outside the corridor." Marcus said fixing the tie on his neck. "Did you manage to make contact with him?"

"No. Patricia said, her beautiful eyes flashing with anger.

"McGee has been avoiding me like the plague. Either he is gay and I don't think he is, or he is in love, but no one rejects me and lives to tell the tale."

Marcus laughed. "In this case, he doesn't have a choice, does he?"

"No, he doesn't. I'll go get ready. Marvek will start looking for me any second now. We will meet after the party and carry on with our mission."

"Very well. I hope he wins that award. It would make things easier." Marcus said, walking to the door.

"It doesn't matter Marcus, he is ours either way."


	3. Chapter 3

**_A/N At last chapter 3, I am so sorry for taking such a long time, I hope you like it and please please review, I LOVE reviews!!_**

****

The Award Chapter 3

Abby walked proudly next to Tim. He had his arm wrapped around her waist leading her softly towards the main ballroom, and it was an incredible sight.

Even if Abby didn't like these kinds of parties, she had to admit it was magnificent: 30 round tables were arranged around an empty space that would later transform into the dance floor. Each of the tables was covered with an identical dark blue tablecloth and a golden centerpiece resembling an antique ink bottle including its feathered pen, the symbol of "Marvek Publishing House".

At the front of the ballroom a large platform had been erected so the honor table could be seen from every corner of the room.

The honor table was rectangle in shape, the dark blue tablecloth stamped with golden M's. At the center of this one, however, the centerpiece was not made of resin and paint. Instead, the ink bottle and its pen were made of pure gold. The prestigious "Marvek Award" waited for its owner to claim it, protected by two armed guards, one at each side.

Abby felt amazed at everything going on around her. Reporters, writers and guests in general were escorted to their places by elegant waiters dressed in white and gold. Tim was beaming, keeping her close to him at all times.

Abby's presence had been quite a surprise; no one was expecting Thom E. Gemcity to attend with anyone to the ceremony; but no one was as surprised as Phillip Marvek's personal assistant, Patricia Harland.

"This is not possible!" she thought. "What is the little lab rat doing here?"

Patricia's cold blue eyes were blazing in fury, but she remained smiling at each and every one of the members of the Board of Directors as she showed them to their seats. Her mind, however, was modifying and reorganizing her plans - plans that didn't included a raven-haired forensic scientist. But then, Patricia was well aware that the human element in any mission was an uncontrollable factor that had to be dealt with.

"No problem, we will take the Goth too. According to my source she is some sort of genius; this can prove useful," she said to herself, her smile becoming wider.

Far from her, Marcus Sutton had spotted Tim and Abby taking their places at the table reserved for the Marvek nominees and their escorts.

"Patricia is not going to be happy about this," he thought as he walked with a tray filled with wine glasses between the tables. He was posing as a waiter, a disguise that allowed him to enter places vital to their mission. He made his way towards the honor table in a few seconds.

Patricia gracefully took one of the wine glasses, taking enough time to whisper, "Everything is okay, Marcus; we are taking both. Inform the extraction team to be ready, the plan goes on exactly as it was."

"Very well," he answered, taking a small bow before turning around with his now empty tray.

Tim was completely happy. As far as he was concerned, it didn't matter if he won the award or not. He was a nominee: that itself was very important. And Abby, his Abby, was sitting next to him looking like a goddess. He could feel many eyes focused on them, a situation he was enjoying immensely.

A waiter walked them to their seats at the nominee table. Tim made the necessary introductions; he had already met every one of them during the convention. First was Professor Ikram Nasry, who wrote some kind of Indiana Jones character, very popular with Indy's admirers; to his right was Pamela Thorton, whose cozy murder mysteries had given her world wide recognition; next was Dr. Peter Vance who wrote about medical murders; to his left was Cecile Lacroix, a well-known chef now writing culinary mysteries with great success; and finally Theodore Duran, a new star at Marvek Publishing with his character DeVaal the Vampire Detective, was also seated at the table.

Dinner started; everything was delicious and the company excellent. Tim kept his hand holding Abby's, much to her delight.

"Hey, this is new, Abs," Tim said, twirling a beautiful silver bracelet she was wearing on her right wrist.

"Oh yes; it's an early Christmas present, from my friend Adler, remember him?"

"The NASA guy, right?"

"Yes, he is in to technology development besides his satellite stuff; this little darling here is not only a piece of gorgeous art, it is a digital camera," Abby said, cheerfully pointing out a tiny hole completely disguised between the intricate designs on the bracelet.

"Wow Abs, it's really something," Tim said, holding Abby's hand up to his eyes, kissing her palm at the same time.

"McGee!" she said almost laughing, "Tickles!"

"Hey Abs, look; Mr. Marvek is standing up. The ceremony is about to start."

Sure enough, Phillip Marvek was standing from his seat; he grabbed the microphone set in front of him and started giving a long and extensive explanation about Marvek Publishing House, its goals and accomplishments, the huge success of its writers and the large number of them who had already made it in to the National Best Sellers List.

After a good 30 minute speech, he finally reached the most awaited moment of the night: the Award presentation ceremony.

"And now, here it is, the Marvek Award: the highest distinction a writer can achieve during the year. Our five nominees are all talented, creative and big sellers for our publishing house. This board of directors had a very hard time choosing the winner," he said, smiling broadly. He took the beautiful award with both hands and raised it up for every one in the ballroom to see. The whole crowd erupted in applause; Tim felt his stomach turn upside down and squeezed Abby's hand.

"I think I am going to pass out, Abs," he whispered.

"Don't you dare, McGee. You are going to win, and I know it!" Abby whispered, back kissing him softly on the cheek.

"So now, I have the honor to present the winner of the 2007 Marvek Award ….. Mister Thom E. Gemcity!!"

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

The Award Chapter 4

Tim didn't move or make a sound. He was in a total state of shock; the room appeared to have gone completely silent, at least for him, or maybe he had just gone deaf. Suddenly a red and black lightning hit him, returning the blast of ambiant sound to his ears.

"Timmy! You won, you won!" Abby shrieked into his ear, giving him a crushing hug at the same time, and before he could react in any way she was kissing him passionately in front of every one at the gala, not to mention several reporters showering them with clicks and flashes.

When Abby let go of him, he was smiling like a Cheshire cat. She pushed him playfully off the chair to face a thunderous wave of applause mixed with loud cheers and a few catcalls.

"Well, it seems like Mr. Gemcity already got his prize, but I need to give him this beautiful award. Come here my boy," Phillip Marvek said happily in to the microphone.

Abby was beaming with pride. Reporters were swarming around Tim on his way to the honor table. Tony was going to have an attack when he saw those pictures in the news the next day, she thought.

This particular thought reminded her of her newest gadget, the bracelet. She started scanning the crowd taking pictures without anyone realizing she was doing so; Adler was indeed a genius, the camera made no clicking noise at all.

Tim was already standing next to Phillip Marvek. She focused her camera on them, Adler had taught her how to aim without revealing her actions, and it was such a fun thing to do.

Her gaze fell then on the beautiful woman standing on Tim's other side. She was looking at McGee with too much interest. Something about that woman made Abby uneasy. She was a scientist, used to observing more carefully than ordinary people, and she didn't like her at all.

Maybe she was just jealous. The devil in the blue dress sure looked ready to jump on McGee, but it was more than that. Her eyes were as cold as ice cubes; they were evil eyes.

Abby shuddered and snapped a few pictures of Mr. Marvek's assistant. Tony was going to drool over them, that was for sure; Abby smiled to herself at the thought. Maybe Ziva would get mad enough to ask him out or something. There was too much unresolved sexual tension between those two.

Abby saw "The Assistant" grab Tim's arm and direct him towards the news conference area. She was sure McGee had flinched at her touch. She smiled to herself.

"It's not going to work assistant lady; he is mine, all mine." 

About an hour later Tim was back, carrying his Award in both hands.

"I am so proud of you Timmy!" Abby said, beaming at him.

"I still can't believe you are here to share this with me, Abs," McGee said, kissing her hand again. Her smile was like a million dollars to him.

An orchestra had started playing slow moving waltzes; several couples were already twirling around on the dance floor.

"Abs, dance with me," Tim said, offering his hand as he stood up from the chair.

"Okay, but you know I have no idea how to dance this stuff, it's not really my kind of music," she answered, taking his hand.

"Just one dance, I promise," he said sweetly, guiding her between the tables onto the dance floor.

Patricia Harland kept her steel gaze focused on her targets dancing slowly around the wood covered floor. They were surely going to spend the night together, a situation that made her job a lot more interesting. Two geeks and an Award at the same time; piece of cake.

Patricia turned around and started walking out from the ballroom. She had already made her excuses with Marvek, now it was time to get ready. She had a contract to fulfill and a reputation to maintain.

Patricia smiled evilly turning one last time to look at the dance floor before muttering with a sweet poisonous voice, "See you soon my darlings, really soon."

The truth was that Abby couldn't care less about the music playing in the background. Tim had one hand on her back and was sending small electric shocks all over her body every time he caressed her bare skin; his other hand held hers close to his heart allowing her head to rest on his shoulder. The scent of his cologne was making her weak in the knees. It had been so long since they were together, Abby regretted now every minute lost. Her body ached for his so much it was physically painful, but it was more than that, a lot more. 

"You dance very well, Abs," Tim said, looking into her amber-green eyes; she almost fainted.

"You are a great lead, Timmy," Abby said. "Tim?"

"Yes Abs?"

"Could we go now?" she asked, softly touching his handsome face with her free hand, her eyes shining with need.

Tim just nodded, holding her very close, his breathing deepening. She looked so beautiful and he loved her so very much. The promise of a night together was more than he could resist.

They made their way to their table and said goodnight to the other nominees. Tim took his award in one hand and Abby's hand rested in the other. He was the happiest man in the world and on his way to paradise.

Patricia zipped up her black leather body suit in one swift motion, admiring her figure reflected in the full length mirror of her suite. A thin smile danced on her lips. Satisfied, she grabbed a pair of black leather gloves and a black baseball cap. She hated to hide her blonde mane, but it was way too visible at night. The clock on the dresser shined 3:12 in ghostly green characters; it was time.

She placed a specially designed communication device over her ear; the microphone was built in to her suit.

"Marcus?"

"We are ready and awaiting your orders," came the voice of her second in command.

"The van is ready?" she asked, knowing very well what Marcus would answer. She always double checked everything.

"Of course, Patricia, and the cameras in the hallway are already receiving a false feed; we will be invisible. The suites next to Gemcity's are empty. I checked them personally. Extraction team is waiting in room 236."

"Call them and tell them to move. I'll meet them at the door in 5 minutes; lookouts ready?" she asked, as she finished fastening her utility belt.

"In position and transmitting. If someone heads our way they'll intervene."

"Give the order, Marcus; let's get the Award and the decoders," Patricia said, ending the transition, she took one last look at herself, smiled and stepped out of the room.


	5. Chapter 5

**_A/N Here you go Another update, I hope you like it, Please REVIEW , I love reviews they make me very happy!_**

The Award Chapter 5

Timothy McGee woke up suddenly. Looking toward his bedside table, he realized it was barely three in the morning. He stretched and turned to look at the figure lying next to him; Abby was soundly sleeping, a small smile playing over her beautiful lips. Tim smiled, got up from the bed and headed to the bathroom, closing the door quietly behind him.

He washed his hands and splashed some water over his face, remembering the events of just a few hours ago.

His thoughts traveled from the dinner gala to The Award and then to Abby's perfect body and the wonderful moments they had shared. He knew it may not last, but for now Abby was back with him and that was all that mattered; and maybe, just maybe this time could be different.

"I am a lucky guy," he said to his reflection in the bathroom mirror, closing the faucet, and then he stepped out in to a nightmare.

In less than a second his head was pulled backwards and he could feel the sharp edge of a blade against his throat. A deep voice murmured right in to his ear, "Make a sound and she dies".

Alarmed, Tim managed to lower his head enough to see Abby kneeling on the bed, a black covered figure holding a silencer-equipped Sig to her head; Abby's eyes were wide open in terror.

"What do you want?" he asked in a very low voice.

"You and the lab rat are coming with us, Mr. Gemcity, or should I say…Special Agent McGee?"

"Miss Harland? What is going on?" he asked, confused.

Tim couldn't believe his eyes. There, standing in the middle of his suite, dressed like some comic book heroine, stood Patricia Harland flanked by two heavily armed men. A third one was next to a very frightened Abby and a fourth, of course, was threatening to behead him.

"Marcus, The Award," she said, and a fifth man came out of nowhere. Tim recognized him as one of the waiters at the gala. This was not good, not good at all.

The man addressed as Marcus walked straight to the table where Tim's prize was and very carefully placed it inside what looked like a specially made box. Patricia nodded and signaled the man holding Tim, who instantly removed the blade from his neck and pushed him towards her.

"We are going to leave this room, all of us together," Patricia said, running her hand up and down Tim's arm. He flinched and tried to back up, but the man behind him kept him in place.

"Hey, leave him alone," Abby said furiously, forgetting the situation they were both in.

Patricia turned to look at Abby, her eyes blazing with cold fury.

"You better not talk again, Lab rat. I need him, and I don't need you," she said poisonously, getting closer to her.

Tim tried to get loose from his captor's grip, but couldn't.

"Don't you dare touch her," he growled, earning a blow to the ribs from his guard, which sent him down on his knees, panting for air.

"Tim!" Abby screamed, trying to get to him; her guard restrained her violently, throwing her to the floor.

Patricia followed the scene, glaring at Abby. She was about to pull her up by the hair when…

"We should get moving, Patricia," Marcus said, checking his watch, distracting the woman from Abby. Tim breathed in relief; something told him Patricia Harland was more than dangerous.

He had to leave some sort of clue, something that made someone realize they had been taken. The problem was it was Sunday. No one expected them to return until Monday and by the looks of it, once Patricia had what she wanted from him, they were going to kill them both. They had made no effort to conceal their identities.

His gaze fell on Abby's jewelry on the dresser...the bracelet! He hoped Abby had told someone else besides him about it. There should be pictures of Patricia in there. If he remembered correctly, she had been standing next to him during the ceremony.

Tim felt himself dragged up and forward, and saw the man next to Abby pull her up too. There was no need for Patricia to issue any orders; it was clear that she was the one in charge. Every one of the five men moved like a well-oiled machine around her.

Patricia touched a button in her suit

"Pierre, we are coming out."

Two of the men walked out first; then Patricia, Abby and her guard followed; Marcus and the box; and then Tim and his guard. The remaining man closed the door quietly, hanging the "do not disturb" sign on the handle with a smirk on his face.

The corridor was empty. Tim noticed they didn't even looked at the security cameras located every few feet. What could they want? There were no important cases at NCIS for the moment. Whatever it was, however, had made someone plan his abduction very carefully.

They walked quickly to the fire stairs at the very end of the aisle. Both Tim and Abby were shoeless and in their night clothes; the cold air made them shiver, as they slowly climbed down the metal stairs.

Tim could distinguish two black vans parked next to the stairs. The back doors were already open and more armed men were standing next to each of them.

They were shoved unceremoniously into the back of the first van and handcuffed to the seats in no time. The door was locked from the outside, leaving them alone for the moment.

Patricia smiled to her men and gave her last instructions.

"Greg, take care of removing the false feed," she said to one of them.

"Right away!" he answered and left, while the remaining men got into the second van. Patricia Harland climbed into the front seat of the first one, a driver already waiting inside.

"Let's go Raúl; enjoy the ride, you two," she said mockingly as the van started down the road.

Abby turned around to look at Tim. Her eyes told him how frightened she was, but her demeanor was unusually calm for her.

"Tim?" she whispered.

"Are you ok, Abs. Did he hurt you?" he whispered back.

"No, he didn't; I am okay. Have you got any idea of what she wants, besides your hot body, of course."

"Don't even joke about it," he shuddered. "No, I have no idea, Abs."

"What are we going to do, Timmy?"

"Until we find out what's going on, we trust Tony."

"Tony?"

"I am counting on his 'I have to make fun of McGee' syndrome."

Abby laughed a little, causing Patricia to yell at them.

"She scares me, Tim," Abby whispered, moving as close to Tim as she could, managing to rest her head on his shoulder.

"Well, I don't like her much either," he said, wanting desperately to hug her, to tell her everything was going to be alright. It was a shame he was such a lousy liar.

There were many things Anthony DiNozzo hated about working on Sundays, getting to headquarters at 0700 was just one of them.

"Morning, David," he said, yawning when he saw Ziva David already sitting at her desk. She was still wearing her running suit.

"Have you any idea why Gibbs wanted us here at this hour on Sunday?" Ziva asked, looking into her back pack for a pair of jeans and a t-shirt to change into.

"Nope, but it must be important. A new case, I am sure," Tony said, reclining on his chair, with both his hands supporting his neck.

"You wish, DiNozzo," Gibbs said, walking in to the bull pen carrying a big stack of folders in his hands.

"Paperwork, Boss? No way!"

"We are way back, and these cases need filing before going to court, so…yes paperwork," Gibbs answered, handing Tony a third of the stack.

"But, but Boss!" Tony whimpered, making Ziva stifle a laugh.

Gibbs just glared at him, causing the young man to spring into action, grabbing his pile of folders and sitting back on his chair in two seconds.

Ziva calmly walked towards Gibbs and took her portion of the stack and, without saying a word, returned to her desk.

Tony fired up his computer before starting with his paper work, and as the opening page came in to view his mouth opened in disbelief.

"Woo hooo! Way to go… Abby!!" he yelled, standing from the chair with both hands in the air.

Gibbs and Ziva turned to look at him intrigued.

"What is it, DiNozzo?"

"Look at this, Boss. Probie- San won the Award thingy and Abby is giving him his present," Tony said, smiling like crazy as he pressed a button and the picture taken during the ceremony filled the huge screen between them.

Gibbs eyes grew wide, but a smile played on his lips.

"He looks shocked," Ziva said, taking a good look at the picture and then at Tony who was pressing buttons madly on his cell phone.

"Tony! What are you doing?"

"I am calling McGoo, Zee-vah. I just can't let this opportunity pass me by," Tony answered holding the phone to his ear.

Tony waited and waited; no one answered the phone.

**_Do you liked it? See this little blue button down here? come on press it, and tell me what you think!_**


	6. Chapter 6

**_A/N I have reposted this chapter, it is now Betaed, Thank you dear!!, come on, review, you know I love reviews!!_**

Chapter 6

Patricia reclined comfortably on her seat; she could see both her captives through the rearview mirror in front of her. The dark-haired lab rat had her head still resting on McGee's shoulder.

"How… romantic." She thought bitterly, "I will enjoy killing her; it's not often I get to dispose of the one I was rejected for.

"But first, they are going to decode my activation codes. Two geniuses are better than one; I can always use her though, if McGee refuses to cooperate as well." An evil smile played over her luscious lips.

Patricia Harland was a very attractive woman, and she knew perfectly well how to make use of it; in fact, it was part of what had made her, a very successful, world class mercenary.

The men who became her victims never suspected anything, until it was too late. They would drool over her looks and forget to pay attention to her brain, a deadly mistake indeed.

Tony looked at his cell phone with disgust."

"Come on Tony, leave him alone." Ziva said when Tony started punching numbers again.

"Never, Zee-vah, it's against my nature." He waited, longer this time, with no luck. "No answer, I'll try Abs."

"Tony! Abby will murder you if you interrupt…anything."



"She won't." Tony waited for several seconds, an uneasy feeling starting to find its way inside his head.

"Boss?"

Gibbs looked up from his paperwork.

"Abby and McGee are not answering their phones."

"You are overreacting Tony!" Ziva said throwing her hands up, in a "you are crazy" sort of way; but froze two seconds later, when she saw Gibbs expression.

"Try them again DiNozzo!" he ordered.

"Already did, Boss."

"Ziva, find out which hotel they are registered in." Gibbs ordered.

She turned to face her computer and started typing not really understanding why they were looking so concerned; after all, it was Tim and Abby's free time.

"They are staying at the Bellagio, Gibbs." Ziva said looking at her monitor.

"Get me the number for the hotel."

"Working on it, Boss" Tony said typing as fast as he could, from the corner of his eye, he saw Ziva looking at him puzzled. "Rule number three Zee-vah, never be unavailable. Abby would never, ever, refuse to take a call." He added writing the number down on a paper pad.

_Hotel Bellagio, Las Vegas, Nevada._



Robert Kander, a tall, heavy set man, was standing behind the Bellagio´s luxurious front desk; he had been the day time manager of the prestigious hotel for 10 years now.

Robert, not Bob or Rob, flipped through his day organizer, sighting, a convention was over, but a new one would be starting the next day. He didn't like conventions, they were too much work and almost always filled with inconveniences, and of course, there would be several problems to take care off at the same time, luckily his staff was well trained for contingencies.

The Marvek Gala was finally over; well, it had been for several hours, but the cleaning crews were just finishing tidying up for the next event, a wedding that was to take place later in the day.

He was looking at the schedules when his phone started ringing.

"Hotel Bellagio, this is Robert Kander speaking, how may I help you?" he said in his best business like voice.

"_Mr. Kander, this is Special Agent Jethro Gibbs, NCIS_."

"NCIS? What can I do to assist you, Agent Gibbs?" Robert answered intrigued, there were no Navy events taking place, certainly no Navy casualties during the night shift.

"_Mr. Kander, one of my agents is staying in your hotel, I need to contact him immediately."_

"The name of your agent, please."

"_Timothy McGee."_

Robert looked through the list appearing on his computer monitor.



"I am sorry Agent Gibbs; I don't have anyone by than name registered." Robert said looking through the list again; he could hear voices on the back through the telephone connection. He wondered.

"_Try, Thom. E. Gemcity."_

"_Oh yes, _yes, of course, Mr. Gemcity and his wife are staying in the Tower Suite." He said merrily.

"_His… wife??" _

The tone of voice, told Robert Kander, that Agent Gibbs was not pleased with this information, and he hurried to explain.

"Well, Sir, that was what she said she was, is anything wrong?" he muttered.

"_Never mind Mr. Kander, I will deal with that later. Put me through to their room, please."_

"Just a moment, Sir." Robert took the interphone and dialed the room number; he waited for several minutes before returning to the phone.

"No answer Agent Gibbs, that's odd, I have been here since before the Gala ended, I saw them go up to their room but I am sure they haven't come down." He said frowning; he didn't like hassle, anything that remotely resembled trouble annoyed him deeply.

"_Can you go up and have a look?"_

"I will, sir. It is not something I would normally do, but I have been here many years, and something is not right." Robert said mostly to himself.



"You are a clever man Mr. Kander, call me back." Gibbs said, giving the hotel manager his cell phone number.

Leaving one of his assistants in charge, Robert Kander made his way up to the Tower suite in no time.

The door looked undisturbed, and the "do not disturb" sign hanged innocently from the door handle; maybe the occupants were indeed having a good time, but…

Very slowly he used his master key to open the suite, everything was quiet, the lights came on, and still everything remained quiet.

A quick look around told him he was probably going to have NCIS agents inside the room very soon.

There were several pieces of clothing resting on the chairs, Mrs. Gemcity, or who ever she was, had been wearing a stunning red dress at the Gala, he had noticed it, said dress was now on the floor next to a tuxedo jacket.

Two suitcases stood closed next to the window; he walked in to the master bedroom, which was, of course empty. The bed was unmade; jewelry, cell phones, a book and a Sherlock Holmes style pipe rested undisturbed on the dresser, toiletries were neatly arranged on the bathroom, and the fluffy white towels remained untouched.

He turned around and sighed, Special Agent Gibbs was not going to like his phone call.


	7. Chapter 7

**_A/N Here you go a kind of short update, I hope you like it, and please, pretty please review, ok? it motivates me to write faster, you know?_**

The Award Chapter 7

The two black vans stopped at last after what seemed and eternity, the back doors opened letting day light fill the space inside.

Tim and Abby ached all over, muscles strained from the position they were in, still handcuffed to the seats.

The man called Greg entered the van and undid Abby's restrains shoving her roughly towards the driver, Raul.

"Here get this one!" he said with a smirk.

Abby screamed, as Raul twisted both her arms behind her back and pushed her towards an old shack nearby.

"Leave her alone!" Tim yelled pulling at his handcuffs with all his might, his wrists started bleeding with each yank, but he didn't seem to notice.

Greg laughed at his efforts before getting him out, too.

Tim struggled, trying to get free, but another set of arms grabbed him from behind, placing a knife against his throat, once again.

"Stop squirming!" Pierre growled making Tim freeze.

Patricia stood watching, amused, next to Marcus who had the wooden box clutched tight between his arms.

"Bring him in boys, and get the vans to the lockup." She ordered calmly, then she turned around and started walking towards the shack; both goons followed her dragging Tim along with them.



The old shack, was just a disguise for a bunker of some kind, the door opened into an ordinary all-in-one room, with a bed, a couch, a kitchenette, fireplace and a dinning room set for four; in the center of the room, however, there was a trap door which was opened.

Tim could see a metal staircase going down into a long corridor; he could hear Abby's protests getting louder as he climbed down. He smiled to himself; Abby was feisty even when she was scared.

Without ceremony, he was shoved into an empty room; the walls were covered in metal, maybe to mask noise, which, he thought, was useless. There was not a living soul in miles.

Tim crashed against the cold cement floor, hitting his shoulder in the process; he couldn't help but yell in pain.

"Timmy! Oh God!"

Abby was at his side in an instant; he hadn't realize she was in the room, too, but he felt relieved that she was okay.

With the Goth's help he sat against the wall, his wrists hurt like hell and they were still bleeding, closing his eyes he tried to regain his breath.

Abby had tears glistening in her eyes, but she kept herself in control. Timmy was injured and they still didn't know what that evil woman wanted with him.

She had nothing to clean his wounds with and his wrists looked bad, so she used the only thing at hand.

Tearing a strip of material from her pajama pants, she started dressing his injured hands.

Tim opened his eyes.



"Abs, I am sorry for getting you in this mess" he muttered.

"What are you talking about Timothy? I am the one that came looking for you, remember?" Abby said softly.

"But…"

"I am glad I am here with you, at least I know where you are and you are not alone with that psycho-lady." She added smiling. "I would be going insane with worry if you had just vanished from the hotel, Timmy."

He smiled, kissing her forehead; Abby just placed her arms around his neck and hugged him softly.

"Listen, whatever Patricia wants must be something illegal. We will do as she says and find a way to undo it at the same time." Tim whispered into Abby's ear. They couldn't know if they were being monitored, but he was almost sure they were.

"Okay Timmy. We do know it has to be computer stuff. After all, she chose you." She whispered back.

"I know, but she now has two for the price of one." Tim said pulling away from her, so she could meet his eyes, "I am worried, Abs. I don't like the way she looks at you."

"Let's not think about that, Timmy," she ended, resting her head on his chest.

Tim sighted, Abby was right there was nothing they could do for the time being, just wait to see what Patricia Harland had in store for them.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N here you go, I hope you like it, please review, it makes me smile!**

The Award Chapter 8

Gibbs, was not sure how Jenny had managed it, but less than two hours after he had briefed her on McGee and Abby's disappearance the team was on SECNAV´s private's plane, on their way to Las Vegas. Tony was, of course, delighted; Ziva was looking worriedly through the nearest window.

"DiNozzo!"

"Yeah, Boss!"

"Contact Las Vegas Police Department and ask for Captain Elhai." Gibbs said, reclining on his seat. They still had three more hours in the air; he better made good use of them.

A few minutes later Tony handed Gibbs his cell phone.

"_Gibbs?" _

"Yes, Sven, it's me. I need your help."

"_Anything, Gibbs. What's up?"_

In as much detail as he could, Gibbs gave Captain Sven Elhai all the Intel he had, from McGee winning the Marvek Award to Robert Kander breaking into his hotel room. Tony and Ziva kept glancing at their boss, wondering about Captain Elhai, but they knew better than to ask about anything remotely personal in Gibbs' life.

"_I know Robert Kander, I have dealt with him before, he is a good man, honest and with quite enhanced observation powers, if you know what I mean. He notices everything that happens around him, and maybe he knows more than he realizes Gibbs." _

"It is good to know, Sven. I will need the help of your forensic team too." Gibbs said, looking outside the airplane window. He was worried sick for both Abby and McGee. They were "his" team, his family; each of them was a son or a daughter, and he couldn't lose any of them, not again.

"_Of course Gibbs, I'll clear it with the Big Brass. I will be at the airport to pick you and your guys up."_

Gibbs closed Tony's phone and gave it back to the younger agent. Something was very wrong; his gut was actually yelling to him and it was frustrating to say the least.

After an unknown amount of time, the door to where Tim and Abby were held opened; Pierre, Greg and Raúl stepped in, fully armed.

Tim stood and helped Abby up.

"Well, are you going to tell us what does your boss wants with us?" Tim asked angrily. He knew it was not the wisest thing to do, but each passing minute made him more and more anxious.

Pierre walked slowly towards them, the other two followed behind smirking; they got themselves one on each side of the young agent, nodding to their leader.

"You better shut up and start walking, we have orders not to harm you, wise guy, but she is another story," Pierre said grabbing Abby. He held her roughly and then without warning slammed his powerful fist against her ribcage. Abby screamed and dropped to her knees, a horrible breaking sound made Tim's stomach flip over.

"Oh God, Abby, Noooo! Don't hurt her," he yelled, trying to get to her, but he couldn't move an inch. He was being held by Greg and Raul who kept laughing at his efforts.

Tim tried to free himself from his captors unsuccessfully, calling Abby almost hysterically at the same time.

Abby panted for air, still kneeling on the floor, holding her ribs with one hand while supporting herself with the other. Her olive eyes raise to meet with Tim's assuring him she was okay.

"Bring him; Patricia needs a word with him," Pierre said, hauling Abby up. She gasped in pain, but she didn't scream this time. Tears, however, streamed down her pale face leaving black mascara trails as they fell.

"Let me help her," Tim said stopping his struggling.

"Suit yourself, but if you try anything funny, she is the one that will pay, is that clear?" Pierre let go of Abby and she fell to the floor again.

Tim nodded, not trusting his voice to answer calmly. At one signal from Pierre, he was released as well.

"Abby, I am so sorry," Tim said gently pulling her up.



"Not… your fault," She gasped painfully. "I can take it Timmy, it´s me, remember?" Abby said smiling softly as she leaned on to him. He held her as gently as he could, with one arm around her slim waist, supporting her weight as much as possible.

He knew Abby could tolerate pain, but it was in quite different circumstances.

This was a gang of psychopaths.

"How can I keep her safe when they are determined to harm her? Oh Lord, I hope they find us, before it is too late," he thought as they made their way through a long corridor.

Tim constantly felt a weapon poking his back. there was nothing he could do at the moment except help Abby walk. He felt frustrated and angrier than ever before in his life, but he had to keep it to himself from then on. He was not going to allow them to use his behavior as an excuse to hurt the woman he loved ever again.

Somehow the thought didn't comfort him in the slightest.

Finally, they reached another closed door. This one didn't have a door handle; instead, it had a numeral keyboard attached to its frame. Pierre, who had been walking at the front of the line, punched a series of numbers, and the door opened making an annoying metallic noise.

Patricia was standing in the middle of the room; she had traded her full leather suit for a pair of tight jeans and an electric blue tank top that left almost nothing to the imagination.

Tim had the strangest realization invade his thoughts: he should think Patricia was incredibly attractive because she was, but as far as he was concerned the only thing that came to mind when he looked at her was… revulsion.

He quickly turned his eyes away from her and surveyed the room, keeping Abby as close to him as possible.

There were several last generation computers set up on adjoining work desks against the farthest wall from the door; a large rectangular wooden table was set against another wall and on this one, his Marvek Award shone innocently under the ceiling lights.


	9. Chapter 9

**_A/N I am terribly sorry for taking so long to continue this story,you forgive me, right? I promise I will finish it soon, to those still interested I thank you for sticking with my slow writing._**

**_I want to thank my darling Beta Lizzie for helping me with this and I really really hope you will continue to read. Don't forget to review, Reviews make me write faster (hint,hint)_**

Chapter 9

Patricia looked at her prisoners, smiling evilly at them.

"Well, you two, it's time to work."

"Work on what?" Tim growled, keeping Abby behind himself as much as he could.

"Marcus, the Award!" was Patricia's only answer.

Marcus Sutton walked towards the table where Tim's Award was placed. He took it in his hands and swiftly unscrewed the base. From inside he extracted a small black metal case and handed it to his boss, she took it and opened it. It contained a small SD card that she held up for Tim and Abby to see.

"Now listen to me, this card contains a series of encrypted codes. I need them, and I need them in less than 48 hours. Installed in these machines you have every program known to man that can help you decode this card, no web connections I am afraid so forget about contacting your dear boss or anyone for that matter," Patricia's ice blue eyes flashed evilly as she turned to focus her attention on Tim. "You better not waste your time, Agent McGee; if you do your little girlfriend here will pay the consequences."

Tim knew she meant every word and he nodded, pulling Abby closer to him. He hated to have to ask her for anything, but both Abby and he looked like war refugees, and they were freezing and hungry as well.

"We need food and water; we're of no use to you if we can't work, right?"

"Well …" Patricia answered, walking until she was right in front of him. She signalled Marcus and he pulled Abby away from Tim in one motion. The Goth gasped as the pain on her ribs rocketed sky-high.

Tim started to turn, his green eyes blazing in fury, but Patricia already had a knife against his throat and her face inches away from his. She smiled widely, enjoying the sense of power she felt every time she had someone under her blade.

"You are quite a handsome man Timothy, did you knew that? But first things first, decode my card, and maybe I will let you and your lab rat live."

Her voice was like poison honey in Tim's ears, he could feel the steel blade against his skin and behind him he could hear Abby's laboured breathing. Anger rose inside him again but he managed to keep it under control.

"Start working Timothy, or your girlfriend here will pay for your delay. I can assure you my torture methods are quite refined" She smirked, removing the knife from Tim's throat and then placing the black card in his hand.

"Here you go. You will have those codes ready for me as soon as possible, right?"

He glared at her.

Patricia's eyes turned into blazing fire when he didn't answer.

"I asked you something Timothy, when I ask, you answer!" Patricia signalled Marcus again and he punched Abby on the stomach, she screamed and collapsed to the floor.

"Damn you, leave her alone!" Tim yelled rushing to her side, pulling her to his chest. "Abby? Abby! Answer me, Oh God!"

"Want me to ask you again?" Patricia asked very slowly.

"No! I will get your codes, whatever they are. Leave us alone, I need to work." He growled.

"Just remember you are under surveillance, so don't get any funny ideas. It is still Sunday no one will be missing you … yet."

With that last phrase Patricia turned around and left the room followed by Marcus, Greg and Pierre. Raúl entered the room a few seconds later carrying two bottles of water and a couple of extra large sweatshirts, leaving them on one of the tables. He stepped out of the room laughing quietly and locked them in.

Tim remained on the floor with a semiconscious Abby in his arms.

"Abbs?"

"It hurts…"

"I know, I am so sorry, this is insane!"

"She… is … evil" Abby whispered, snuggling against him.

Tim felt frustrated, he realized how desperate their situation was, he needed to tell Gibbs, but even if he could contact his boss, he had no idea where they were.

He helped Abby stand and settled her on a chair, noticing the water and the sweatshirts.

He took one of them and helped Abby to put it on, it was too big for her but at least it was warm. He put on the other one and handed a bottle of water to the pale Goth.

"Abbs I want you to remain as still as you can, you have broken ribs and your lungs may be injured too, I'll take care of the decoding." Tim said as he removed the cushions of a couple of chairs. "Here, lie down, I wish I had something to cover you with."

Abby's beautiful olive eyes fixed on his as she sat back on the floor and softly she placed a hand over his mouth.

"This… is not your fault Timmy, she is crazy, and evil …" He kissed her fingers helping her to recline on the pillows. "I'll help… McGee… just let me rest for… a little while."

Abby added closing her eyes. "She… is going to kill us, when she gets what she wants from us, from you. I don't want to die Timmy, not now that I finally know how much I love you."

"Abby?"

"I love you McGee." She whispered before passing out.

Tim looked at her in awe, how he had wanted to hear her say those words. They were not going to die!

"I love you too Abbs, somehow we will make it. "I trust our team, they are coming." He kissed Abby's pale hand again and stood.

He chose one machine, inserted the card on its proper place and began to work. His fingers flew over the keyboard while his mind tried desperately to find a way out.

Las Vegas, International Airport.

The mystery of Elhai's and Gibbs relationship was instantly solved when the plane landed at the airport; the man waiting for them had ex-Marine written all over him.

He was taller than Gibbs by a couple of inches, broad shouldered, his hay-blond hair sported a buzz cut suitable for rejoining the corps at anytime and his eyes were mismatched, one blue one brown.

"Gunny!"

"Sven."

Both men shook hands, after introductions were made Tony and Ziva looked around them. Three police cars were parked next each other and a large black van was next to the farthest one; big white letters spelling "Forensics Team" painted on the side panel. A young man and a middle-aged woman were reclining against it.

Captain Elhai made his way towards the black van followed closely by Gibbs and the team.

"Gibbs, this is Dr. Liza Delaney, our forensics analyst and her assistant Benjamin Soto" Elhai said making introductions.

"Sir, it is a pleasure, Abby talks about you and your team all the time" Dr. Delaney said, shaking Gibbs hand.

"You know Abby?" Ziva asked intrigued.

"Of course I know her," Liza Delaney said. She was a short plump woman with grayish hair tied up in a loose bun, her eyes were kind and bright with intelligence. "Abby Sciuto is one of the best analysts in the world, we constantly see each other during conferences and symposiums, of course we e-mail all the time too." she finished.

"Let's go, we are wasting time", Gibbs barked getting into one of the cars, everyone else quickly did the same.

Sometime later they arrived at the back entrance of the Bellagio Hotel. Robert Kander stood immobile at the door waiting for them, he knew Captain Elhai would try not to make any more fuss than necessary, he was always grateful for that.

"Gibbs, this is Robert Kander." Sven Elhai said.

"Agent Gibbs," He said shaking Gibbs' extended hand. He immediately started to walk toward the service elevators. "No one has been allowed on the hallway or the Tower suite since I was there Agent Gibbs; I am so worried about all this, sir…"

"You did well Mr. Kander, I would like a word with you after the forensics' team has finished with the room." Gibbs said, looking at his friend for confirmation and the Captain nodded.

"Of course Agent Gibbs, anything you need, I will be at the front desk." Robert Kander said as he guided Gibbs, Captain Elhai and both teams to the suite. Once they arrived he opened the door with his master key and stepped back.

Gibbs was the first one in; he surveyed the room with his clear blue eyes taking in every detail. Behind him Tony looked, on one side stunned by the luxury of the room and on the other he felt like intruding on his friend's privacy.

Ziva´s eyes scanned everything around her; she saw the still made black suitcase covered in red skulls, Abby's stunning red dress spilled on the floor with McGee's tuxedo jacket right next to it. She saw the unmade bed and Abby's jewellery on the bedside table next to both their cell phones.

"Gibbs, are we authorized to collect evidence?" Ziva asked. He nodded.

NCIS had jurisdiction, but since they were going to use the Las Vegas Forensics Lab, Dr Delaney called the shots evidence wise. Captain Elhai, however had cleared it with the Sheriff, so Gibbs' team could assist; two missing federal agents- Abby had been labelled as such for the moment- was no joke.

No turf war was going to take place; Elhai and Gibbs went back several years, and they knew and respected each other. They were friends and Marines; there was not such thing as ex-Marine for either of them.

Everyone set to work; Ziva took the bedroom with Tony in tow carrying the camera.

"Look Tony!" Tony turned around to find Ziva pointing at the bedside table.

"Those are Abby's things," the camera snapped several times "you see something important?"

"Yes, the bracelet, it is a hidden camera, Abby showed it to me."

"A camera?" Tony looked puzzled at the sparkling bracelet.

"Yes, a camera Tony, her friend from NASA- I can't remember his name- made it for her. Maybe she took pictures of the kidnapper." She added placing the jewel in an evidence baggie.

"Good idea Ziva, go tell Gibbs, I'll finish here." Tony sighted as Ziva left the room in a hurry, his eyes then focused on the unmade bed.

"Ah Probie, what have you gotten yourself into this time?" With another sigh he continued his work.

TBC

**Don't forget to Review! more coming really soon!**


	10. Chapter 10

**_A/N here you go, as promissed, hope you like it, please please review!!_**

Chapter 10

When Gibbs was satisfied everyone was doing his or her job, he stepped out of the room. He knew Sven would keep an eye on everyone while he went in search of Robert Kander.

He found the hotel manager waiting from him at the reception desk.

"Mr. Kander, I need you to think, any detail is important. Do you remember anything strange happening around Agent McGee?" Gibbs asked standing right in front the serious man.

"Well, I can tell you Mr. Gemcity- I mean, Agent McGee- was quite a success during the whole convention. As one of the nominees he had several activities each day. I remember thinking he was not enjoying himself very much."

"What do you mean?"

"This year, Mr. Marvek had a new assistant, Miss Patricia Harland and she is, well, a very attractive woman, from day one it was evident she was very taken with Mr. Gem … Agent McGee, but it wasn't mutual, in fact it looked like he was annoyed by her the whole time; of course yesterday I realized why."

"You did, huh?"

"Yes, yesterday morning, Mrs. Gemci… excuse me, your other agent arrived."

"That would be Abigail Sciuto."

"Yes, well, she told me she was his wife and that she wanted to surprise him, so I let her in. When they came back down together for the Gala I knew she was the reason Mr. G… Agent McGee had not paid any attention to Miss Harland; he was actually glowing. The last time I saw them was after the ceremony. They went up to their suit early, and that was it."

Gibbs nodded before asking. "Anything else Mr. Kander?"

"Just one thing, after they left I saw Miss Harland looking at them as they headed for the elevators, her eyes were full of pure loathing. If looks could kill, Miss Sciuto would had fallen dead on the spot."

Gibbs thanked him as a foreboding sensation settled in his stomach. He wasn't sure why, but somehow he knew they were running out of time.

"Gibbs, I got something!" Ziva said just as she stepped out from one of the main elevators and lifting the plastic bag that contained Abby's bracelet.

"Tell me." Gibbs said taking the plastic bag from her hands. Ziva explained quickly what she knew.

"Good work Ziva, go get Captain Elhai, we need his computer geek to help us and I need you and DiNozzo running a back-up check on one Patricia Harland."

"On who?" Ziva asked intrigued.

"Marvek's personal assistant. Go!"

"Right."

Ziva rushed back into the elevator and disappeared behind the closing doors leaving her boss standing in the middle of the Bellagio's Lobby clutching the bracelet in his hand.

"Abby can't be the reason, her presence here was unplanned. There is something else going on and I am going to find out what it is." he said mostly to himself.

Up in the Tower Suite, Tony finished shooting pictures, although every inch of the room had been dusted, photographed and sketched and several large plastic boxes were already filled up with evidence, he kept looking around. The feeling that he was missing something kept nagging at him and he couldn't shake it.

"Tony?" Ziva had just returned to the suite and was looking at him with a puzzled expression on her face. "Are you alright?

"Something is missing Ziva, but I don't know what."

"It's too soon to tell anything Tony, nothing has been looked through yet." Ziva said.

Tony stopped pacing around, focusing his sight on the spot where Tim's jacket had been.

"I know Ziva, the Award is missing." He said almost yelling.

"The what?"

"Probie's prize, it should be here."

"What does that mean? If anything"

"I don't know Ziva, but it's strange; why would the kidnappers take a literary award with them? I know it's made of gold, but they didn't take anything else, I wonder …"

Tony's question floated between them as the last evidence boxes were removed from the suite.

"What are you two waiting for? Let's go!" Tony and Ziva jumped at Gibbs' angry voice coming from outside the room.

"On your six boss!"

"Coming Gibbs!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tim had no idea how much time had elapsed since he started working on the decoding of the card. His back ached terribly, his head pounded painfully and still he couldn't stop clicking the keyboard. The codes were under heavy encrypting, he had broken seven layers so far and he was still counting.

He glanced now and then towards Abby. She was still sleeping on the floor, her breathing laboured. He felt sick with worry; Patricia wouldn't hesitate in killing Abby if he didn't deliver, and he needed some time to "fix" whatever the card contained because there was no way she was getting the real thing.

He took a sip of water and placed the cold bottle against his forehead, closing his eyes for a moment.

"Let me give it a try McGee, you're exhausted."

"Abbs! You scared me. Are you alright?" he asked standing up to help her sit on the chair next to his.

"I am okay Timmy, don't worry. How far have you gone?" Abby asked moving the keyboard in front of her.

She looked dreadful, but then, he probably looked just as bad.

"I have seven layers done, but there are more and I can't think the numbers just mix one with the next." He said his voice tinted with despair.

Abby looked tenderly at him and placed a pale hand over his.

"I will continue with this, you need to get some sleep Timmy."

He nodded, and kissed her softly on the cheek.

Abby smiled and her hands started flying over the keyboard as Tim lay down on the improvised bed they had made on the floor. He was asleep in seconds. She smiled sweetly at him again and turned to look at the screen before her.

The beautiful Goth focused on the task ahead, trying to block the burning pain of her ribs, or the "slight" difficulty she was having breathing; they had to break the codes and find a way of misleading the blond witch and her cronies.

Time, they needed time so Gibbs, Tony and Ziva could find them; they were already looking for them, she was sure of it. That was something Patricia didn't counted on, Gibbs team was like a family, and families looked after each other, cared for each other, and that was going to be her undoing. Smiling slightly at these thoughts, she continued to work.

Hours melted one on to the other. Abby managed to erase three more layers of encryptions, and suddenly her screen filled up with schematics, dozens of them, flashing in rapid succession.

"Oh my God! Missiles!"


End file.
